Folding table



Oct. 10, 1939. c. INOELCKE. SR

FOLDING TABLE Filed July '7, 1937 INVENTOR. zw/s 1V0 1.005512.

llllllllll l .r l ll CARL ATTORNEYS.

zlparachute.

Patented Oct. 10, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 3 Claims.

This invention relates to folding tables and more particularly to readily portable and collapsible tables for use in packing parachutes in the field. It is a general practice to fold a parachute and pack it immediately after the descent is complete and without removing the parachute to a workshop or hangar. This is thought to be a safety precaution in that there is no chance of getting any of the lines fouled in returning the parachute unpacked from the field.

It is a difficult matter to fold a parachute on the ground particularly in a field, because there is always danger of packing in twigs and dirt, or perhaps stones which might cause damage to the As far as I am aware, there has never been provided a convenient table upon which a parachute may be folded, and it is therefore an object of my invention to provide such a table which may speedily be erected anywhere in the field and which will then provide a convenient table upon which a parachute may be folded and packed. It is another object of my invention to provide a table as above outlined, which will be relatively cheap to manufacture and simple to erect.

These and other objects of my invention which will be described hereinafter or which will be apparent to one skilled in the art upon reading this specification, I accomplish by that certain construction and arrangementof parts of which I shall now describe an exemplary embodiment. Reference is now made to the drawing forming a part hereof, and in which:

Figure 1 is a plan view with parts broken away, of a table according to my invention.

Fig. 2 is a cross sectional view of the same taken on the line 22 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a cross sectional view of the same taken along the line 33 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a detailed perspective view of the grommets and cords for tying down certain parts of the parachute.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the table of Fig. 1 in erected form ready for use.

Fig. 6 is a side elevation of a table of a somewhat modified form.

Briefly in the practice of my invention, I provide a long, narrow strip of canvas and means for supporting the strip at a convenient height and for reenforcing it in certain points.

Referring more particularly to the drawing in which like reference numerals indicate like parts in the different figures, I have indicated the strip of canvas forming the table at It). I have found that for most purposes this strip should be some 42 ft. long. Sewn to the under side of the member 10 are the longitudinal tape members H which are sewn along the edges of the table and the strips l2 which are sewn longitudinally between the strips ll. One of the tapes H is preferably provided at each end with a D-ring l3 and the other tape II is preferably provided at each end with a snap hook l4. In this way the table may be supported as shown in Fig. 5, by passing the tapes ll around a tree and buckled at one end, passing the tapes at the other end around, for example, the spare tire of an automobile and buckling them. The automobile may then be slowly driven away from the tree until the member [0 is taut. It is to be understood, or course, that the table may be stretched between two automobiles if desired. At each end of the table I provide a wooden cross bar and pass the member ID around the same as shown most clearly in Fig. 2. This serves to maintain the table in transversely distended condition. Intermediate. the ends .of the table I preferably provide two transverse supporting boards l6. which may be spaced approximately at locations and respectively the length of the table. The members I6 are held in place by auxiliary strips of material passing underneath them as at I! and sewed to the member 10. I prefer to drill holes .18 in the members l6 and provide leg members l9having reduced ends adapted to seat within the holes 18.

At one end of the table I provide a tool pocket formed by a flap of material indicated at 21, fastened to the member 10 and preferably also the tapes H and I2 by some fastening means which are indicated generally at 22. At its free end the member 21 may be provided with snap member 23 and the member 2| is sewed to the member l0 along its edges as indicated at 24 in Fig. 2.

At the opposite end of the table I provide a snap hook 25 which may be fastened in a loop of material as at 26 to the member H] and toward the other end of the table I provide at the points indicated by the numeral 21 tying members which are shown in more detail in Fig. 4. These comprise each a pair of grommets 28 through which is passed a cord or tape 29 preferably tied up above the grommets as at 30.

In the underside of the member ID I may provide pockets for the leg members 19, as shown at 33. These may take the form of a strip of canvas or the like, looped and stitched to the member II] as at 34. Thus I may provide space for two legs adjacent each of the members l6, and adjacent the members I6a in the modification of Fig. 6.

In use, the tapes II at one end of the table are passed about the tree as indicated at 3I in Fig. 5 and buckled. The tapes at the other end are fastened, for example, around the spare tire 32 and buckled at the other end, and the automobile is driven in the direction of the arrow until the member II] is taut. The leg members are then inserted in the bores 20 in the boards I6 and the table is then ready for use.

In Fig. 6 I have shown a slightly modified table in which instead of the bars I5 at the two ends of the table there are provided additional boards Ilia in all respects similar to the boards I6 above described, and there are provided auxiliary leg members I9a to act with the boards Isa. Instead of the tapes II and buckles I3 and I4, I provide the ropes I Ia provided with cleats I2a which are used in a conventional manner with the tent pegs 3|. It will thus be seen that the only difference between the table of Fig. 6 and the table of Fig. 5 is in the manner of erecting it. In the case of the table of Fig. 6 it will be necessary to insert the leg members I9 and I9a at appropriate places and then extend the table until it is taut, by exerting tension on the ropes I Ia and holding the ropes taut by means of the cleats IZa. When it is desired to pack a parachute on my novel table, the apex thereofis attached to, the snap member 25 and the parachute is laid out on the table with the harness portion toward the other end of the table. The harness is preferably tied to the table by means of the tapes 2'! at the left hand end of the table and the tapes 27 at the middle of the table may serve to tie the parachute rims in place. With this table and with the con-. ventional parachute on the, market today, the skirt portion of the parachute will extend approximately to the board I6. near the right hand end of the table and the, folding of the parachute is actually done using the board I6 as a supporting surface.

It will be noted that my table is also convenient if it is desired to pack several parachutes immediately in succession. In the event that when the first parachute is packed for duty it is desired to have the pack pulled together, the rip cord put in place, and the final operations of parachute packing performed, it may be moved toward the left to rest upon the other board [,6 and in the meantime a successive parachute may be laid out on the first board I6.

It is to be understood that dimensions given herein are exemplary only and that many modifications can be made for example in the construction of the legs I9 and I9a and in the particular manner of fastening the tapes and hooks and the like without departing from the spirit of my invention; and I therefore do not intend to limit myself other than as pointed out in the claims which follow.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A table for the purposes described comprising a relatively long, narrow strip of flexible material, fastening means at each end of said strip whereby it. may be maintained in taut condition, means to cause said strip to maintain a transversely distended condition, and intermediate supporting means between the ends of said strip, said supporting means comprising relatively stiff members fastened to said strip and provided with legs, said supporting means being disposed to divide said table into three approximately equal lengths.

2. A table for the purposes described comprising a relatively long, narrow strip of flexible material, said strip at its two ends passing around and retaining transversely disposed distending members, relatively stiff supporting elements attached to said table transversely and spaced to divide said table into three approximately equal parts, tapes sewed to said table longitudinally thereof along the edges of said table and extending therebeyond and provided with fastening means on their ends, leg members to cooperate with said supporting elements, a hook member attached to said table at one end thereof and tying membersv attached to said table near the other end thereof,

3. A parachute packing table comprising a relatively long, narrow strip of flexible material, tranSVersely disposed distending members fastened thereto, two of said members being disposed at the respective ends of said table and two of said members being disposed intermediate the ends and spaced to divide said table into three approximately equal parts, detachable leg members coacting with each of said distending members, and means at each end of said table for ex erting tension thereon.

CARL LEWIS NOELCKE, SR. 

